The formal letter: A formal letter (la carta formal) is an official message to someone you don't know personally — a company, an institution, an authority. In Paper 1 you choose it when the task tells you to write to an organisation or a person in a role (a director, a manager, a town hall). It's part of Unit 2: Text Types, so the marks come from getting its conventions and register right (Criterion C), not just the message.
- la carta (formal)
- the (formal) letter
- el destinatario
- the recipient (who you write to)
- el saludo formal
- the formal greeting (Estimado/a Sr./Sra.:)
- la despedida formal
- the formal sign-off / closing
- el registro formal
- formal register (you address the reader as usted)
- el tono respetuoso
- a respectful, neutral tone
Spot it in the task: The task names your reader. «Escribe al director…», «Escribe a la empresa…», «Dirígete al ayuntamiento» → an organisation or authority → formal. If it said «Escribe a tu amigo/a» you'd switch to an informal email (a different text type). Always read who the reader is first.
Keep it formal: Use usted, a neutral, respectful tone, and fixed, polite formulae. Avoid slang, contractions of tone and exclamations. Consistency matters — slipping into informal «tú» or chatty phrasing breaks the register and costs you Criterion C.
Formal — do this
- Estimado Sr. Director:
- Le escribo para solicitar…
- Atentamente, / Reciba un cordial saludo.
Informal — avoid here
- ¡Hola, Marta! ¿Qué tal?
- Te escribo para contarte…
- Un abrazo, / Besos,
Stay consistent: Pick usted and keep it from the greeting to the sign-off. Verbs, pronouns (le, su, usted) and the closing all have to agree with that choice.
Practice with real exam questions
Answer exam-style questions and get AI feedback that shows you exactly what examiners want to see in a full-marks response.
The six parts: Every formal letter follows the same shape. Hit all six parts and you've covered the conventions the examiner is looking for.
Formal letter — 6 parts
Date & place
Place + the date, top right. «Madrid, 14 de marzo de 2026»
Formal greeting
A respectful greeting + the reader's role, with a colon. «Estimado Sr. Director:»
Opening
State your purpose straight away, in usted. «Le escribo para…»
Body
Set out your request or information clearly and politely — the longest part. «Quisiera saber… Le agradecería que…»
Closing
A polite closing formula. «Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.»
Sign-off
A formal sign-off + your full name. «Atentamente, [nombre y apellidos]»
Date → Greeting → Opening → Body → Closing → Sign-off
Don't skip the frame: Students lose easy Criterion C marks by forgetting the formal greeting or sign-off. They take seconds and show you know the text type — never leave them out.
A model, part by part: Here's a complete formal letter built from the six parts above. Read it once for the message, then tap Ver traducción to check the English or 🔊 to hear it.
Modelo: las 6 partes en acción
La carta escrita, parte por parte
- Madrid, 14 de marzo de 2026
- Estimado Sr. Director:
- Le escribo para solicitar información sobre el curso de verano que ofrece su academia, ya que me gustaría matricularme este año.
- Quisiera saber cuáles son los horarios, el precio y los requisitos de acceso. Por ello, le agradecería que me enviara un folleto con todos los detalles.
- Quedo a la espera de su respuesta y le agradezco de antemano su atención.
- Atentamente, Elena Ríos Vega
Por qué puntúa — why it scores: This short letter earns marks on all three Paper 1 criteria — here's how:
A — Language /12
- Respectful, accurate language; usted throughout
- Connectors: «ya que», «por ello»
- Polite conditional (agradecería, enviara), correct verbs
B — Message /12
- Clear purpose: requests information AND a brochure
- Ideas developed (timetables, price, requirements)
C — Conceptual /6
- Letter conventions: date + formal greeting + sign-off
- Consistent formal register (usted)
- Neutral, respectful tone
Feeling unprepared for exams?
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A toolkit you can reuse: Learn a few ready-made phrases for each part. They make your letter sound natural and save time in the exam. Tap 🔊 to hear them.
Para empezar (greetings & openings)
- Estimado/a Sr./Sra. [apellido]: — Dear Mr/Mrs [surname],
- Le escribo para… — I am writing to…
- Me dirijo a usted con motivo de… — I am contacting you regarding…
Para el cuerpo (requesting politely)
- Quisiera saber… — I would like to know…
- Le agradecería que… — I would be grateful if you could…
- Le ruego que… — I kindly ask you to…
Para terminar (closings & sign-offs)
- Quedo a la espera de su respuesta. — I look forward to your reply.
- Reciba un cordial saludo. — Kind regards.
- Atentamente, [nombre y apellidos] — Yours faithfully, [full name]
Use one from each: One greeting, one or two polite requests in the body, and one closing formula is plenty — and instantly makes the letter feel like the real text type.